Thief

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D produces a high-performing combo in Thief, securing a rank of 210 out of 2851 tested combinations. This places the pairing within the top 7.4% of all tested configurations, a position driven primarily by the substantial GPU power, though the results also indicate a meaningful balance between the two components that becomes more apparent as resolution and settings change.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 210 out of 2851 tested combos signals a strong overall showing, but the context of Thief’s age and engine is critical. The game is a 2014 release, and its performance ceiling is relatively low compared to modern titles. The data shows that this pairing does not hit extreme frame rates at every setting, which suggests that the game’s workload is not fully utilizing the hardware’s potential in all scenarios. However, the average FPS figures across the board are consistently high, indicating that the rank is more a reflection of the game’s inherent limits than a deficiency in the components.

Benchmark results indicate that the RTX 5090 D holds a 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, while the i5-14400F sits at the 83rd percentile among CPUs. The GPU’s nearest rivals in average score include the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT with a delta of -1.6% and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB at -2.4%, meaning the RTX 5090 D outperforms these by a small margin in synthetic tests. For the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U is nearly identical with a delta of 0.1%, and the Intel Core i9-11900 trails by 0.2%. These synthetic benchmarks align with the in-game performance, where the GPU appears to be the dominant factor, but the CPU is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking at lower resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is equipped with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This memory configuration is far beyond what Thief requires, making it a non-factor in performance limitations. The GPU’s base clock is 2017 MHz with a boost clock of 2407 MHz, and it features 21,760 shading units. In the context of this game, these specifications result in frame rates that are heavily influenced by the preset’s graphical load rather than memory capacity.

The RTX 5090 D’s synthetic benchmark scores, such as a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14,326 and a Passmark G3D score of 44,065, place it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, has a delta of -1.6%, meaning the RTX 5090 D is slightly ahead. In Thief, the GPU’s role is most evident at 4K resolution, where the average FPS drops to 92 on High settings from 131 at 1440p. This drop is a direct result of the GPU’s rendering workload increasing with pixel count, yet the absolute numbers remain high, confirming that the GPU is not a limiting factor at any tested setting.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a clear pattern of FPS decreasing as resolution increases, which is expected. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 182 FPS, dropping to 160 FPS at 1440p Low, and further to 134 FPS at 4K Low. This represents a 26% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings. At High settings, the drop is more pronounced: from 149 FPS at 1080p to 131 FPS at 1440p, and then to 92 FPS at 4K, a 38% reduction overall. The larger percentage drop at higher settings indicates that the GPU is working harder, but the CPU is keeping pace.

The scaling suggests that the limiting component shifts with resolution. At 1080p, the frame rates are high enough that the CPU’s capabilities (10 cores, 16 threads, boost clock up to 4.70 GHz) may be nearing their limit, as the FPS gains from lower settings are smaller. For instance, moving from High to Low at 1080p only increases FPS from 149 to 182, a 22% gain. At 4K, the same settings change yields a larger relative improvement, from 92 to 134 FPS, a 46% gain, indicating the GPU is more dominant at higher resolutions. This behavior confirms that the RTX 5090 D is the primary driver of performance, with the i5-14400F providing sufficient support to avoid severe bottlenecking.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured FPS rows, the optimal experience balances frame rate and visual fidelity. The Medium preset offers the best compromise across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the combo delivers 165 FPS with a minimum of 140 FPS and a maximum of 189 FPS, providing a smooth and responsive experience. At 1440p Medium, the average is 145 FPS, with a minimum of 123 FPS, which remains highly playable for a stealth game. Even at 4K Medium, the average of 120 FPS with a minimum of 102 FPS is well above the threshold for fluid gameplay.

The High preset is also viable, with 149 FPS at 1080p, 131 FPS at 1440p, and 92 FPS at 4K. However, the jump from Medium to High only yields a marginal visual improvement in a 2014 title, while the FPS cost is noticeable. The Ultra preset provides the lowest average FPS, at 147 FPS for 1080p, 129 FPS for 1440p, and 87 FPS for 4K, which is only slightly worse than High but still above 60 FPS at all resolutions. For a game like Thief, where stealth and quick reactions matter, the Medium preset is recommended as it ensures consistently high frame rates without sacrificing too much detail, especially at 4K where the difference between Medium and High is 28 FPS.

FAQ

*Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested combinations in Thief?*

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combo ranks 210th out of 2851 tested combos, placing it in the top 7.4% of all configurations tested for this game.

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves?

A: The highest average FPS is 182 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next best is 165 FPS at the same resolution with Medium settings.

*Q: Is the RTX 5090 D overkill for Thief?*

A: The data suggests the GPU is not fully utilized. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 182, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 87 FPS. The GPU’s 32 GB VRAM and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are far more than the game requires, but the frame rates still scale with resolution, indicating the GPU is doing work.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic tests?

A: The i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32,279, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U and 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i9-11900. It is 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 102, with an average of 120 FPS and a maximum of 138 FPS.

Q: Does the combo perform better at 1080p or 4K in terms of consistency?

A: At 1080p Medium, the FPS range is 140 to 189, a spread of 49 FPS. At 4K Medium, the range is 102 to 138, a spread of 36 FPS. The percentage variation is smaller at 1080p, indicating more consistent performance at lower resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor from the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. It has 20 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. These specifications are more than adequate for Thief, a game released in 2014 that does not demand high core counts. The CPU’s synthetic benchmarks, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 21,645 and a single-core score of 3,055, place it at the 83rd percentile of all CPUs.

In this game, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with data, and the data shows it does so effectively. At 1080p, the CPU is likely the limiting factor, as the difference between Low and Ultra settings is only 35 FPS (from 182 to 147). This small gap suggests the CPU cannot push frame rates much higher regardless of GPU load. The i5-14400F’s nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, has a nearly identical average score, and the Intel Core i9-11900 is just 0.2% behind. The CPU’s performance is sufficient to keep up with the RTX 5090 D at all resolutions, as evidenced by the consistent frame rates that never drop below 87 FPS even at 4K Ultra.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080:

• Low: Average 182 FPS. No min or max recorded.
• Medium: Average 165 FPS, with a minimum of 140 FPS and a maximum of 189 FPS.
• High: Average 149 FPS. No min or max recorded.
• Ultra: Average 147 FPS. No min or max recorded.

At 1080p, the combo delivers its highest frame rates, with the Low preset yielding 182 FPS. The Medium preset provides a balanced experience at 165 FPS, while High and Ultra are nearly identical at 149 and 147 FPS, respectively. The minimal difference between High and Ultra suggests the game’s Ultra settings add little visual benefit at this resolution.

2560x1440:

• Low: Average 160 FPS. No min or max recorded.
• Medium: Average 145 FPS, with a minimum of 123 FPS and a maximum of 167 FPS.
• High: Average 131 FPS. No min or max recorded.
• Ultra: Average 129 FPS. No min or max recorded.

At 1440p, the frame rates remain high, with Low at 160 FPS and Medium at 145 FPS. The drop from High to Ultra is only 2 FPS, from 131 to 129, indicating that the Ultra preset is not significantly more demanding than High at this resolution. The minimum FPS of 123 on Medium still provides smooth gameplay.

3840x2160:

• Low: Average 134 FPS. No min or max recorded.
• Medium: Average 120 FPS, with a minimum of 102 FPS and a maximum of 138 FPS.
• High: Average 92 FPS. No min or max recorded.
• Ultra: Average 87 FPS. No min or max recorded.

At 4K, the GPU’s workload increases substantially, but the combo still maintains high frame rates. Low settings yield 134 FPS, while Medium offers 120 FPS with a minimum of 102 FPS. High and Ultra drop to 92 and 87 FPS, respectively, which are still playable but show a more significant performance cost. The data indicates that 4K Medium is the sweet spot for this pairing, providing a 28 FPS advantage over High while maintaining a minimum above 100 FPS.